What makes reading a good book even more fun? Talking about it. To promote your child’s love of reading, try starting a family book club. Take your entire family on a trip to the library. Each person should check out a book. When members have read their selections, gather for a special book club night. Serve treats and take turns talking about the books you’ve each read and why you liked them.

Kids love pets, and caring for a pet can teach children responsibility and self-discipline. But pets are serious business. If you are thinking of getting a pet, involve your child in choosing the best pet for your family. Will the pet be suited to your home? Your budget? Will your child have the skills and time to take care of it? Make a contract that specifies what your child will do for the pet, and what will happen if she doesn’t.

If your child often forgets his homework, don’t be so willing to drive back and forth to retrieve it. When they constantly replace lost items or retrieve homework, parents deny their children the chance to learn to take responsibility for belongings. Children learn by experiencing the consequences of not having those belongings, or by having to deal with the problems themselves.

Are you looking for a unique way to wrap gifts? Ask your child for some paintings and other artwork you can use. Friends and relatives will enjoy this thoughtful idea. They may even treasure the wrapping paper more than the gift! And your child will feel a special pride seeing her creations on display.

In school, children must learn to assess, evaluate and see relationships between events and ideas. To boost your child’s thinking skills: Encourage him to ask questions about the world around him. Ask him to imagine what will happen next in a story. When he expresses his feelings, ask why he feels that way. Use TV shows as the basis for family discussions. Use daily activities as occasions for learning.

No family can agree on everything. But family members can show respect for the opinions held by other family members—regardless of age. Make it a rule at your house: “When we discuss an issue with different sides to it, we will hear all sides and, if necessary, we’ll agree to disagree.” Your child will develop a respect for others that will serve her well in school and beyond.

Parents don’t always think about protecting elementary school children from drug and alcohol abuse. But things you do now can help prevent these problems: 1. Set family rules about drug and alcohol use, and make sure your child knows them. 2. Help your child set and work toward short-term and long-term personal goals. 3. Know your child’s friends and their parents. 4. Help your child feel good about himself.